Another German Minister Felled by Plagiarism Claims

By Harriet Torry

The latest political scandal in Germany isn’t about sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll — or even money. It’s about the rather unglamorous accusation of PhD plagiarism. But allegations that Education Minister Annette Schavan copied sections of her doctoral dissertation more than 30 years ago led to her resignation Saturday after her university revoked her doctorate, an embarrassment for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government at the start of her re-election campaign.

Ms. Schavan, a close ally of Ms. Merkel, denies the accusations, and said she bade farewell to her “dear Angela” with a heavy heart. But the scandal raises questions over the political elite and the vanity that may have driven some to cut corners to gain a prestigious academic title. The ethical concerns could prove damaging to Ms. Merkel’s cabinet — more than half of whose members hold doctorates — just seven months ahead of a parliamentary vote.

New digital technology — like anti-plagiarism software, wiki pages and citizens’ blogs — have taken Germany’s academic elite by the horns, and the downfall of the education minister is the latest coup for online activists. When Ms. Schavan, 57 years old, graduated from Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf as a doctor of philosophy in 1980, little could she have foreseen that her words would one day be at the mercy of computer scanners, algorithms and giant online databases.

Ms. Schavan’s case follows the 2011 resignation of popular Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg after it was found that large sections of his doctoral thesis were plagiarized. Since the zu Guttenberg scandal, three politicians from the Free Democrat party, Merkel’s coalition partner, have had their doctorates revoked. Only one, Silvana Koch-Mehrin, actually resigned following the allegations.

The quest for the doctor title is a peculiarity of German society. Unlike in the English-speaking world, where a PhD tends to precede a career in academia, all kinds of professionals in Germany strive for the doctor title – particularly lawyers and medical doctors, who can complete PhDs in as little as a year.

As Germans err toward formality in the workplace and public life, the doctor title carries currency and prestige on day-to-day basis, garnishing business cards, letter boxes and email signatures. Over 40% of board members at Germany’s 30 largest DAX-listed companies have a “Dr.” before their name. The title of Volkswagen AG’s chief executive, as listed on the company’s website, is Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Martin Winterkorn, comprising his own doctorate and various honorary professorships from universities in Budapest, Dresden and Shanghai.

Germany’s strong emphasis on academic training and prowess comes at an early age, as children are streamed into schools according to academic ability around the age of eleven. Bright sparks sent to Gymnasium head for university, while kids streamed into the basicHauptschule or comprehensive Realschule tend toward vocational training.

Germany doesn’t have an Oxbridge or Ivy League equivalent (indeed, only one German university, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, made it into the top-50 of the Times World University rankings for this academic year), so a PhD is a stand-out academic acknowledgement. Nor does it cost anything: There are no university fees for PhD students.

But recently, a backlash has started amid revelations that some “Drs” may have cut corners in the writing of their Meisterwerke.

Websites have sprung up that highlight offending passages. Martin Heidingsfelder, the founder of one such website, called VroniPlag, last week told the Tagesspiegel that coinciding with the election this fall, he is available to examine parliamentarians’ dissertations for a fee starting at €20, the results of which he will publish online.

Will that lead to more resignations? There are plenty of candidates to pick on — around 20% of the 620 politicians in the Bundestag carry the title of Dr.

But many commentators say the Schavan case goes too far, since the thesis in question was written more than three decades ago. Tax evaders have a statue of limitations of about 10 years.

The head of the Christian Social Union, the sister party of Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, called her resignation “regrettable and tragic.”

John F. Kennedy said there is only one thing in the long run more expensive than education: no education. It seems fake education can be even costlier than that.

Comments (1 of 1)

When it became known that Saif Gadaffi had paid a fellow student to write his papers and PhD thesis, there were consequence for all concerned. Not only was the degree withdrawn, but the University's director resigned, and the supervising Professor also left the Institution.